The Necessity of Sound Doctrine
Hello people, happy Christmas Eve! Can you believe that the year is already ending? This year flew by quickly. Firstly, I’d like to welcome my new subscribers. There was an influx of subscribers last week, and I am glad that you are here. Thank you for joining us, on this platform I write a lot (trying to be more frequent) about relationships, culture, and theology (I am still a baby at this). You can check out most of my old articles by clicking this link here.
A few weeks ago, at my church, we had a Q&A service. When this was announced, I was excited, because Q&A sessions were one of the reasons I decided to hang my hat at my church. However, the excitement began to wane. I was quite unsure of the types of questions people might ask. I did not want generic or trivial topics to deter the time we could use to delve more into scriptures. I’d like to say that after church on Sunday, I felt really full. My church members came correct with their questions, and I am just grateful to God for the preparedness of our teachers to make a defense of the gospel when asked.
It reminded me again that learning the scriptures isn’t just meant for teachers/preachers alone. Peter in 1 Peter 3:15-16 says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”
The other day I went to the market, and in the middle of haggling, the guy who I was trying to buy from said that he could just give be another bag of rice for free, because after all the bible encourages us to give. To his statement, I replied, “oh, you are a Christian?” To which he replied, “No oh, I don’t believe in God, Christianity is a white man’s religion, and I am a traditionalist.”
I couldn’t just let his revelations slide, so I asked him a couple of questions, and he also asked me some, like why I referred to Jesus as God, and why I believe God is real even when I hadn’t seen him. We left of the conversation with him telling me that he hoped one day I would stop believing in Christ, and the Nigerian in me said “...God forbid!” And I threw the opposite statement right back at him, hoping and praying that one day it will become true.
We just never know when someone might ask us a question about our Christian faith, and if we are unprepared to make a defense, then we might be laughed at or worse still, lose an opportunity to truly share the gospel with someone who is lost. After I left the market that day, I knew my meeting with him wasn’t by chance, and it also served as a reminder for me to spend more time studying God’s word. Which brings me into today’s topic, the necessity of sound doctrine.
In the last few years, I have been building an appetite for sound doctrine. This came about from my life experiences, the pandemic, and truly, by God’s grace. I have previously written on topics such as, naming and claiming it, God told me, and some other related topics that misled me in the past and have saturated the church.
It is important to note that such messages did not begin with us, as we can find Paul in the book of Timothy warning Timothy (and by extension, us) about false teachers and false teaching. When we hear about false teaching, or doctrine of demons as the bible sometimes refers to it, we might be inclined to think that it is something more sinister, that would be easy to spot. While that is also a reality, it isn’t the only type of message that has been designed to deceive the Christian and to repel the lost.
We often hear messages in churches around getting married, and how God wants to bless us with all material things or accomplishing our dreams. For years, people have been burdened with trying to discover what their “purpose” is. We’ve been made to believe by these charismatic preachers that there is this unique assignment that we all have, and that must be discovered so that we can live in that purpose.
Additionally, conferences have been designed around how to position yourself to find your spouse, and if for some reason that hasn’t happened yet, then there is something wrong. I remember a time when someone had asked me to send a picture or name of somebody that I liked and wanted to possibly marry (this was 12 years ago, so future toasters, no fear, I don repent), so that they could take it to a man of God to pray and tell me if that person was God’s will for my life. Some churches today somehow toe the line between Christianity and what is diabolical.
We’ve become so obsessed with what would be, than with what has already been written, and accomplished on the cross. And so, we amass “prophets” and seers for ourselves, when the gospel isn’t meant to be complicated and/or mingled with practices that are not of God.
Sermons focusing on who Jesus is, the significance of His sacrifice, and its implications for believers (or those yet to believe) are rarely preached nowadays. Instead, the focus often shifts to us and what God can do for us, leaving little room for cultivating love and care for our neighbors. You could attend a church for years without ever being convicted of your sinful lifestyle. Don’t misunderstand what I am trying to say—being in a God-honoring relationship and pursuing marriage are wonderful. If you choose to marry, God desires that a believer marries another believer. However, marriage and relationships are not the ultimate purpose of our lives. There is something far greater, far more fulfilling—someone infinitely more fulfilling—worthy of all our glory, honor, and reverence.
There is a reason why we are here and why the church exists. When you are part of a church that teaches and honors Christ, each week, you will be reminded of the things that truly matter (2 Corinthians 4:17-19), because we tend to forget when we are wrapped up with our lives - trying to be effective at work and meeting up with our deliverables, dealing with family and how you can provide for them.
The cares of this life often distract us from focusing on Christ. When we attend church and constantly hear messages about how He wants to bless us with more material possessions, help us excel in our careers or businesses, or fulfill our personal dreams, we can lose sight of what truly matters. We forget who is central to it all, where we are ultimately headed, and the incredible salvation He has given us from the greatest peril we could ever face. Even more troubling, this lack of focus on Christ leads many to believe they are saved when they are not, because the piercing truth of God's Word, which reveals the intentions of our hearts, is not being preached.
And so, the usual messaging does not even move the unbeliever. Most times, the unbeliever, already has the money, the house, the motivation to work, and the intellect to be the best, so why does he need Christ? What can Christ do for him, that he hasn’t yet achieved for himself? This is why it is essential to preach the gospel, the true gospel. Because it is the gospel that truly transforms lives, and make people realize that they are nothing without him.
If the gospel is being preached as it should, the rich and wealthy can come into church and realize how wretched they are if they are not truly living for Christ.
The unbeliever or the sceptic might begin to have a rethink and may want to investigate Christianity without their biases. A husband may realize how poorly he has been treating his wife in comparison to how Christ loves the church. And the Christian might realize how neglectful they have been towards the poor.
The church’s job is to present the gospel in a true manner, while God works on the hearts of those who must be saved. But it does everyone a great disservice when it focuses on things that do not save. Sound doctrine helps us to refocus on Christ each time we are tempted to be carried away by the things of this world. It makes us realize that the gospel is not about us, but about Jesus, the holy God who came to rescue us from death to life.
The gospel is not about the prophets, the apostles, Mary, or even Abraham. While each of these individuals played a significant role in God's plan, the focus is not on them. Nor is the gospel about you getting married, landing a great job, accumulating wealth, or achieving your personal dreams. Each time we come together for church, we should always remember the reason for why we are gathering, which is Jesus. I've gotten to that point in my life that when I hear motivational or prosperity preaching, it is very repulsive to me. Perhaps for a season, such teachings kept my hope alive (because those trials were trialing), but when everything came crashing, God was signalling that there is a proper way which leads to life.
I will end with what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
What do you think about this article? Kindly leave your comments below, or reply to this email. If this article resonated with you, it will resonate with others. Please share it with them. And while you are at it, encourage them to subscribe to this platform, so we can keep growing. And if I am unable to write to you again before Christmas day, Merry Christmas! Have a great time celebrating.
If you haven’t yet subscribed, click the subscribe now button below to receive our articles directly to your inbox.
Check out the related posts below:
What I Have Been Learning Since My Hiatus
Faulty Doctrine is Misleading Us
Thank you for reading and leaving a comment. I appreciate it.
This this and this.
Thank you for being an added voice.
We need sound doctrine back in church, we have taken our eyes off Jesus turned God into a genie and made ourselves little gods on earth.
May God have mercy on us and open our eyes to the Truth.